Method of and device for improving carburetion



March 22, 1955 B. MAGUI ET AL METHOD OF AND DEVICE FOR IMPROVINGCARBURETION IN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Jan. 29, 1951 L Viv Eall/l M M U W q w W5 45 mm ATTORNEY United States Patent METHOD OF ANDDEVICE FOR IMPROVING CARBURETION IN INTERNAL COMBUS- TION ENGINESBernard Magui, Paris, and Andr Girard, Oyonnax, France ApplicationJanuary 29, 1951, Serial No. 208,410

Claims priority, application France January 31, 1950 5 Claims. (Cl.123-25) This invention relates to the carburetion of internal combustionengines and more particularly to a novel method of and means forimproving the carburetion in internal combustion engines.

It is known that the functional efficiency of an engine, or in otherwords its sound and economical operation, is governed essentially by thequality of the air/fuel mixture fed thereto.

The mixture, consisting essentially of air and more or less volatilehydrocarbons, has to meet two requirements.

(I) It must be suitably metered so that the combustion, that is to saythe combination of the hydrocarbon with the oxygen component ofatmospheric air, may take place completely.

(II) It must be homogeneous throughout in order to avoid anycondensation of the hydrocarbon, before or during the explosion, likelyto promote incomplete combustion, carbon deposits and above all fuelextravagance, because the ideal mixture should behave like a perfectgas.

This last requirement is the most difiicult to obtain owing to thedissimilar nature of the components and the striking difierence betweentheir respective densities. The surface-tension of the liquid drops insuspension in the air has to be overcome, since it acts against thebursting and gasification thereof.

It is generally admitted that all the devices heretofore tried have onlygiven partially satisfactory results in this respect, whether incarburettors proper, in engines (high-turbulent heads for instance), orin fuel injection systems for engines using this method.

On the other hand it is known that ultrasonic frequencies, i. e. theinaudible frequencies from 30 kilocycles/sec. up, have specificproperties whereby extremely intense physical and chemical phenomena areobserved in the media through which they are passed.

It is the general principle of this invention to use some of thesephenomena for influencing the process of forming air/fuel mixtures.

The object of this invention is to provide a method of improving thecarburetion in internal combustion engines, consisting in submitting theair/fuel mixture to the action of ultra-sounds or supersonic waves. Thisimprovement in the carburetion when supersonic waves are resorted to isprobably due to their property of creating in the medium through whichthey are passed in tense vibration fields as Well as a local temperaturerise on the surfaces separating heterogeneous bodies having differentdensities.

To illustrate this principle by an example, assuming a supersonic waveflux of 800 kc./s. passing across a suspension of liquid particles inair (case of mist, or air/fuel mixture), a local oscillation will beimparted to these particles which means a variation in pressure from 0to 115 lbs. per sq. in. and an acceleration 100,000 times that ofgravity, this eifect occurring 800,000 times per second.

As a result of this action the effect of surface-tension is neutralizedand the drops burst instantaneously which, combined with the intensestirring and self-heating action exerted on the mixture, will produce anatomized aerosol having the characteristics of an actual gas but not ofa mist or saturated vapor.

The consequences are as follows:

The mixture delivered to the cylinders has a constant richnessirrespective of the air or fuel temperature.

The optimum richness is obtained with a smaller proportion of fuel sincethe latter is completely gasified whereas in conventional carburetion asubstantial fraction remains in the liquid state, is incompletely burnt,carried along by the exhaust gases and therefore wasted.

Condensations are suppressed in the inlet manifolds or pipes,particularly by cold weather.

Possibility of using low-grade, higher-evaporating fuels such aspetroleum or gas oils, without neither auxiliary pre-heating not risk ofsooting.

Elimination of knocking, a detrimental phenomenon caused by theexplosive character assumed sometimes by the combustion. Now, thisdetonation is mainly caused by the partial oxidation of relativelylarge-sized fuel drops and the formation of instable peroxides.

Owing to the homogeneity of the gaseous mixture, the rate of combustionis accelerated, the flame front propagates uniformly and as aconsequence the thermal losses on the walls are reduced and thethermodynamic etficiency increased.

Another object of this invention is to provide a supersonic carburetingdevice for carrying out the above-defined method and consistingessentially in:

A. A supersonic wave emitter comprising a small piezo-electric crystalset in a suitably shaped member fast with a tube element insertedbetween the carburettor and the engine. Thus the supersonic flux passesthrough the air/fuel mixture jet at right angles or obliquely thereto.

B. A frequency generator fed with primary current from the D. C. sourceavailable, for instance, in the case of an automotive vehicle, thestorage battery supplying the ignition, lighting and radio systemsthereof. This arrangement is trouble free and does not add any abnormalload to the battery, because the power requirement is very low, of theorder of 6-12 watts per sq. in. of supersonic flux cross-section.

A modified embodiment may consist in connecting directly the ignitioncoil or an additional coil to the frequency generator for producing thehigh-tension current. With this method a discontinuous current supplyand therefore supersonic wave trains are obtained the emission of whichis synchronized with the engine ignition of each cylinder. As a result,the jet of air/fuel mixture delivered to the engine is subjected toseries of vibrations which are superposed to the vibrations proper ofthe ultra-sounds, the turbulence of the mixture being increasedaccordingly.

It goes without saying that the details described above are given solelyby way of example as any other device adapted to produce and applysupersonic waves may be resorted to without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

Thus, in direct-injection engines (using either lowvolatile or volatilefuels) the effect of the supersonic flux may be applied either to themanifold through which fresh air is admitted or to the injector, or toboth together.

Finally, the supersonic carburetion attachment ensures a last andsubstantial improvement in the carburetion.

The benefit derived from a water injection in carburetion has been knownfor many years (it regularizes the thermal efliciency owing to the highlatent vaporization heat developed, it eliminates knocking, reducescarbon deposit, etc.) but none of the hitherto proposed devices has beencompletely satisfactory because water and fuel are incompatible, andwater is not volatile. The proportions or air/fuel ratios are alwaysirregular and condensations arise thus causing erratic operation of aninternal corrosion in the engine.

With the supersonic device according to the invention thesedisadvantages are completely eliminated. It will be sufiicient toprovide a small auxiliary jet arranged in parallel with the main jet.The ternary air/water/fuel mixture after passing through the supersonicflux, will form a homogeneous and uncondensable mixture.

Furthermore, the additional water may be used without trouble as avehicle for secondary products, for instance cylinder-head and valvelubricating oils, antiknock compounds, ionizing agents, etc.

In particular, it is extremely advantageous to use water containing aradiferous salt, or a salt irradiated in the carburettor proper by itspassage in front of a radio-active cell. This cell may be located on thehollow section carrying the supersonic emitter.

The ionization of the gaseous mixture already homogenized by the actionof the ultra-sounds will promote a still more accelerated propagation ofthe flame front and, therefore, the performance will be enhanced.

In addition, in the ionized medium the explosion will propagate even inmixtures that are much leaner than ordinary mixtures so that aconstant-pressure carburetion will result together with a greater fueleconomy, while constantly filling the cylinders at their full volumetriccapacity, the regulation of engine operation being assured throughvariation of the richness of the mixture instead of throttling thegaseous stream.

This technique provides a diagram of operation very close to thetheoretical thermodynamic cycle.

The appended drawing shows, by way of examplification, an embodiment ofthe present invention.

The motor 1 is supplied with the fuel mixture through the duct 2connected to the carburettor 3; the supersonic wave emitter 4 is set onthis duct and consists of a piezo-electric crystal connected to thesecondary circuit of a high-frequency generator 5, fed by the secondaryof coil 8 the primary of which is connected to the battery 6, asdiagrammatically shown in the drawing; a radio-active cell 7, emittingrays, is provided in front of the supersonic wave emitter 4, in the duct2.

When the motor turns and is supplied through the duct 2 with the fuelmixture, the mixture is subjected to to the action of trains ofsupersonic waves from the emitter 4. This emission of waves issynchronized with the ignition in the cylinders and this mixture isionized by rays from the radioactive cell 7.

Water may be supplied to the engine simultaneously '4 with steam from asmall reservoir 11 and a small constant-level chamber 12.

What we claim is:

1. A method of improving the combustion in internal combustion enginesconsisting in submitting the air/fuel mixture to the action ofsupersonic wave trains the emission of which is synchronized with theignition of each cylinder.

2. A method of improving the combustion in internal combustion enginesconsisting in using a carburetted mixture containing water andradio-active salts and submitting said mixture to the action ofsupersonic waves.

3. A method of improving the combustion in internal combustion enginesconsisting in using a carburetted mixture containing Water, ionizingsaid mixture and submitting it to the action of supersonic waves.

4. In a device for improving combustion in internal combustion engines,a supersonic wave emitter acting upon the stream of air/fuel mixture tothe engine, an ignition coil, said supersonic wave emitter being fed bythe secondary winding of said ignition coil.

5. In a device for improving combustion in internal combustion engines,a supersonic Wave emitter acting upon the stream of air/fuel mixture tothe engine, and a radio-active cell combined with said supersonic waveemitter adapted to ionize the carburetted mixture submitted to theaction of the supersonic waves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,939,302 Heaney Dec. 12, 1933 2,436,570 Hancock Feb. 24, 1948 2,453,595Rosenthal Nov. 9, 1948 2,454,900 Vang Nov. 30, 1948 2,532,554 Joeck Dec.5, 1950

